Drones attack a civilian ship in the Mediterranean Sea

In the Mediterranean Sea, a ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists to Gaza was attacked by unknown drones.

This was reported by the international non-governmental organization Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

The attack took place at about 00:23 (01:23 Kyiv time) in international waters 31.5 km off the coast of Malta.

It is reported that the bow of the ship was attacked twice, causing a hole in the hull and a fire onboard.

A distress signal was sent, but the Maltese government did not respond as of 06:00. At the same time, it is reported that Cyprus could have sent a ship to help.

“Under international maritime law, Malta is obliged to act and ensure the safety of a civilian vessel in distress nearby,” the organization stated.

At the same time, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition did not indicate whose drones could have attacked the humanitarian vessel or whether there were any victims.

The drone attack was aimed specifically at the ship’s generator, and now there is a risk that it may sink. According to the organization’s social media posts, there are 30 international human rights activists on board. Almost immediately on Friday, Turkey condemned the attack on the civilian vessel belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in the strongest terms.

“All necessary efforts will be made to uncover the details of the attack as soon as possible and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli stated.

He said that the ship was carrying Turkish citizens, adding that the health of the crew and passengers on board are satisfactory.

As a reminder, in March, the Israeli military launched a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, aiming to create a buffer zone between the north and south of the enclave. As part of the operation, Israeli forces expanded their zone of control to the center of the Netzarim corridor, which stretches to the Mediterranean Sea.

At the same time, the first truce between Israel and Hamas came into force on January 19. The first phase of the agreement provided for Israel’s unblocking of large volumes of humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from densely populated areas, and the exchange of hostages for prisoners.